Curtain-fixture.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

HERBERT E. KEELER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

To ati 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. KEELER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the same.

This invention relates to curtain xtures and relates more especially to such curtain fixtures as are employed in railway cars and which serve to securely hold a springactuated curtain in any desired position.

In the accompanying drawings in which the saine reference character refers to similar parts in the several gures, Figure l is a front view partly in section showing one embodiment of this invention as applied to a curtain. Fig. 2 is a detail view on a large scale showing one form of foot used in this curtain fixture in connection with the cooperating guideway. Figs. 3, et and 5 are similar viewsshowing other forms of foot.

In the embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings the two postson either side of the window are shown as provided with suitable grooves or guideways A with which the curtain fixture cooperates.

The curtain C is secured to a spring roller B of the usual construction which is preferably constantly acting and which is mounted in suitable bearings at the top of the window.

The curtain tube D which may be formed of metal and which serves to hold the curtain iirmly'in position by allowing` the use 40 of a strongly acting spring roller, is firmly fastened in the curtain, preferably in a pocket near the bottom of the same and the two shoes E are mounted in the ends of the tube and are preferably accurately guided therein so as to reciprocate transversely of the curtain. These shoes are also preferably springpressed outward into cooperation with the guideways. Suitable guiding members are mounted in the shoes for engagement with the guideways to secure the alinement of the curtain as it is moved up and down, and also to hold it firmly in position.

Specification o' Letters Patent.

Application iled April 11, 1903.

Patented April 2o, 1909.

Serial No. 152,152. Y

As indicated in Fig. l, the shoes E are rigidly secured to the plungers F which iit within the curtain tube and are formed of such length as to be guided therein during the operation of the fixture. The inner end of each plunger is preferably engaged by the spiral spring T which engages a suitable stop R in t-he curtain tube. Any desired means may be employed for securing the proper reciprocation of the plunger and for holding it properly within the curtain tube. A screw O is indicated passing through a suitable slot in the tube and engaging the spindle which allows a limited reciprocating movement of these parts. It is not necesl sary, however, that the shoes be mounted upon the curtain in this particular manner, although the shoes should be mounted to reciprocate properly for cooperation with the guideways.

In each of the shoes separated guiding members are mounted for engagement with the guideways and are preferably formed to produce a proper holding action so as to maintain the curtain in position. These guiding members preferably comprise an irregularly rot-ating guiding member mounted in the upper portion of the shoe, this guiding member preferably operating in connection with another guiding member mounted in a lower position in the shoe. As indicated in Fig. 2, the irregularly rotating guiding member Il may be in the form of a guide roll which is preferably formed with a suitably,ronghened periphery to positively engage the guideway and to prevent slip with respect thereto. The distance of the portion of the -periphery of the guiding member which is in contact with the guideway from the axis of the guiding member varies as the guiding member rotates irregularly through contact with the guideway. The irregular rotation of this guiding mem ber may be secured by mounting it upon the eccentrically placed pivot K in the shoe, as is seen in Fig. 2 so as to form an eccentric guideroll as indicated. This irregular rotation as will be seen forces the plunger of the shoe inward against the spring pressure upon it as t-he shoe is moved along the guideway and this spring pressure in a readily understood manner tends to prevent the rotation of this irregularly rotating guiding member and tends to hold the curtain in position. Another coperating guid ing member is preferably employedin the shoe for engagement with the guideway. ln the form of foot indicated in Fig. 2, this guiding member which is there shown at the lower end of the shoe is in the form of a pivot-ed guideroll mounted in the shoe, although it is understood that it is not necessary that this coperating guiding member be rotary. lt may take vthe form indicated in Fig. 5 in which the sliding guiding member L is indicated as cooperating with the irregularly rotating guiding member K which is separated therefrom. By placing the irregularly rotating guiding member nearer the spring roller than the other cooperating guiding member, avery desirable action of the curtain takes place, since under these conditions the holding action of the curtain fixture is reliable and it operates smoothly as it is moved along the guideways, it is not of course necessary that the unsymmetrical forms of shoe such as are shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 be always used so that the irregularly rotating guiding member is in that end of the shoe which is uppermost.

Shoes formed with several cooperating guiding members used in connection with an irregularly rotating guiding member majv7 be employed in this curtain fixture. ln Fig. 3, the shoe E is indicated secured to the plunger F which may be mounted in the curtain tube, as has been described and an irregularly rotating guiding' member H is shown which may be mounted in the shoe to rotate about the pivot K. Separated cooperating guiding members may be used on either side of this irregularly rotating guidw ing member. These coperating guiding members may take the form of the guiderolls l l1 which rotate smoothly about their pivots and are preferably only lightly in engagement with the guideway in the position indicated. The irregularly rotating guiding member may be mounted nearer the plunger Gr of the shoe as indicated in F ig. 4 in which the irregularly rotating guiding member H rotates with respect to its pivot K which is adjacent the plunger, as indicated. rr cooperating guiding member is preferably employed separated from and below the irregularly rotating guiding member and this cooperating guiding member may take the form l as indicated.

rlhose familiar with this art may make many changes in the form, proportion and numbers of parts of this curtain fixture without departing from the spirit of this invention or losing the advantages of the same. Furthermore, parts of this invention may be employed without using all of the same and may be employed in connection with other devices without departing from this invention. 1 do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the disclosure which has been made in this case, but

that l claim as new and what l desire to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

l. In a curtain fixture, a spring-actuated curtain, guideways adjacent said curtain, a curtain tube mounted at the lower end of said curtain, shoes having plungers secured thereto to coperate with said guideways, said plungers fitting within said tube and being spring-pressed outward, irregularly rotating guiding members mounted in said shoes adjacent said plungers to engage said guideways and cooperating guiding meinbers in said shoes below said irregularly rotating guiding members.

2. In a curtain fixture, a springactuated curtain, guideways adjacent said curtain, spring-pressed shoes secured to said curtain to cooperate with said guideways, said shoes being provided with irregularly rotating guiding members, each of said irregularly rotating members being formed with a periphery the distance of the portion of which in contact with said guideway from the axis of said guiding member varies as said guiding member is rotated and dissimilar cooperating guiding members mounted in said shoes below said irregularly rotating guiding members.

In a curtain fixture, a guideway, a shoe to coperate with said guideway, said shoe having an irregularly rotating guiding member mounted therein to engage said guideway, the distance of the portion of the periphery of said guiding member in contact with said guideway from the axis of said guiding member varying as said guiding member is rotated and a separated coperating regularly rotating guideroll mounted in said shoe to engage said guideway. f

at. ln a curtain xture, a curtain stick, shoes mounted on said curtain stick and spring-pressed outward to coperate with guideways, an irregularly rotating guiding member in each of said shoes and a dissimilar separated coperating guiding member in each of said shoes to engage said guideways, said irregularly rotating guiding members tending to angularly tilt said shoes as they move along said guideways.

5. In a curtain fixture, a spring-actuated curtain, spring pressed shoes mounted on said curtain to coperate with guideways, each of said shoes having an irregularly rotating guiding member mounted therein to engage said guideways, the distance of the portion of the periphery of said guiding member in contact with said guideway from the axis of said guiding member varying as said guiding member is rotated and a die l guideWay and to be rotated thereby and a 10 similar separated coperating guiding nieindissimilar separated coperating guiding' ber mounted in Said shoe to engage said nieinberto engage Said giiicle\vay,said eccenguideway, said irregularly rotating guiding tric guiding roll tending' to singularly tilt members tending t0 angularly tilt said Slices Said Shoe as said guide roll rotates.

as theymove along said guideways. HERBERT E. KEELER.

(3. In a curtain fixture, a shoe to coperlitnessesn ate with a guideway, said shoe comprising HARRY L. DUNCAN,

a single eccentric guide roll to engage said Jnssm B. KAY. 

